Suffering Darkness
by LexeeMae
Summary: My name is Aara. I am not a bender, at least I don't think I am. And the world is falling into chaos. Korra is believed to be dead, but I know she isn't. She just needs to wake up...
1. Prologue

My name is Aara. It's pronounced A-R-UH. The first ten years of my life, I grew up in the Southern Water Tribe, with four sisters and three brothers, all of them water benders. My parents are water benders as well, and then there is me. Plain old me. Not a bender.

Growing up, my best and only friend was Korra. Yes, Avatar Korra. I had a lot of friends, but I call her my only friend because she's the only that actually cared. I was actually bullied a lot by my 'friends' because I was really small, I always had really short hair, and I'm not a bender. The only part of me my 'friends' liked were my eyes.

My eyes aren't what one would call 'natural.' Even though they are completely natural. My eyes are a rich, dark purple. Korra always told me I was special, I wanted to believe her, but I never did. I don't think I ever will. Our friendship got the short end of the stick when she found out she was the Avatar. Nobody would leave her alone. We tried to hang out but it always ended badly. Then a few short years later, I move to the Northern Water Tribe.

I was an outcast because of my eyes. Northern Water Tribe people are so judgmental. After my entire family died in a fire, I was kicked out of the Tribe. I can't ever go back. Because they're too damn judgmental.

Anyway, now I live alone, on an island in the middle of nowhere. It takes me about 45 minutes to walk the perimeter. It's small, but big enough. And I've been on it for years. I was kicked out of the Northern Water Tribe at age 11, and I just turned 18. I haven't seen another person for 7 years. Until I saw her almost die.


	2. Chapter One

I sat on the beach, drawing in the frozen sand. I shivered as the icy breeze touched my face. The fire next to me wasn't keeping me warm at all. I didn't want to go in my shelter, the sunrise was too pretty. Got up and looked ay my unusually pale skin in the water. My eyes extremely noticeable in my reflection. I put my long, light-brown hair into a braid that started at the top of my head, and two short curls fell out, right in front of my ears. I decided I didn't want my hair short anymore, so I grew it out.

I looked further our into the water. I saw something floating towards shore. It was a body. I striped into my undergarments and swam to it. I could feel hypothermia crawling up my viens. I was to busy to look at her face to see who see saw was, but it was a fully grown woman.

I dragged her to shore and laid her down by my indoor fire. I removed most of her clothes and replaced them with new ones, as well as putting on warm clothes myself. I shut my shelter down and put a blanket over her body. I moved her hair off her face. I immediately jumped up. "Korra!" I sat back down and checked for pulse. She was alive.

She started to moan and move her head. "Come on, Korra, wake up." She took a few breaths then began to breath normally again. "You can do it." I whispered.

Her eyes barely opened. "Where am I?" She managed to cough out.

"On an island. You're safe." I said.

Her head turned towards me. "A-Aara?"

I smiled and nodded. "Yes, it's me."

"D-Darkness is coming. Too m-much. It hurt me." she coughed.

"Darkness? Korra what are you talking about?" I asked.

"There will b-be no l-light left. H-help me." She closed her eyes.

She was covered in cuts and bruises. I believe she fell into a coma. I walked outside. "Gah!" I screamed. "Why can't I be a water bender! Why can't I heal her!"

"You don't have to water bend to heal."

I turned around. A beautiful spirit was standing ankle-deep in the water. "Who are you?" I asked.

"You don't remember?" asked the spirit. "I guided you here."

"Oh. Now I remember." I said.

"You think you aren't a bender because you don't bend any of the common elements." she smiled.

"Yeah. I can't bend, I'm not a bender." I was confused.

She came closer. "Wrong. You have the power to bend the most powerful element of them all. You can bend the energy of the mind. You are a psychic bender. The first one. Why do you think your eyes are purple? Korra is the only other person with this power, but she has yet to find out. You were given this power to fight the darkness."

"Wait." I interrupted. "What darkness do you people keep talking about?"

The spirit ignored me. "It is up for you, Korra, and her friends to save the world." she started to fade. "Bring Korra back, you have the power." And she was gone.

I went inside. I checked for Korra's pulse, but I couldn't find one. "No, no, no!" I yelled. "This can't be happening!"

I closed my eyes. I did everything my gut-feeling told me to do. I placed one of my hands on heart forehead, and of on her heart. I took a slow, deep breath.

I felt energy rushing through my entire body, and into her. I could feel all the energy in the entire world, and that is not a hyperbole. I feltit. I felt then felt a heart beat, and the slow rising and falling of her chest. I opened my eyes in time to hers fly open. She sat up straight, breathing hard. She turned to me. "Aara, I was dead. You brought me back. She looked all over her body. "All my cuts and bruises, they're gone!" She looked at me again. "Holy shit! Aara! I've missed you!"

She gave me a huge hug as I smiled. "I've missed you, too." I said. "We have a lot to do."


	3. Chapter Two

Korra plopped down after a long day of trying to figure out our newly found bending. "I thought I mastered all the elements, I even had some metal bending training from Chief Beifong. Now this."

I sighed. "What's it like in Republic City?"

"It's amazing. All the technology is outstanding. Future Industries just came out with a new thing called a television. It's like a radio and a movie theater combined, and it's small enough to fit in a living room."

"Really?" I asked. "That's awesome. I would really like to go there someday. I just don't want people to judge me for my eye color."

"I don't think they would care. Honestly, a lot of them are to self-centered to even notice that your eyes are different. They'll be to busy looking in a mirror or chasing after a career." Korra smiled. "Tenzin and his family would notice. They are the most selfless people I know. And they don't judge people, because they know everyone is different. Man, I really miss them. I guess they're a part of my family, too."

"You'll see them soon. I'm ready to get off this island and actually see people. Even though I've never met him, I believe Tenzin is the only one who can help us figure out our bending." I laid down.

"Yeah, I agree." Korra said.

"We're leaving, tomorrow." I shut my eyes for the night.

It was morning. Korra and I had gathered a lot of wood for a bonfire. We were going to create a smoke signal. We piled it on the beach and Korra lit it. It had to be the biggest bonfire ever.

It seemed like forever, but we eventually saw a small boat in the distance, and it was heading our way.

Soon it pulled onto shore, and an older man got off board. "I'm guessing you two need help."

"Yes, please." Korra said.

"Climb aboard. I'm taking this small load of cargo to Republic City. That's the only place I can take you though." He said.

"Thank you." Korra smiled. "That's where need to be."

We climbed aboard and set off. The man looked at me. "You have a strange color of eyes, Miss. You'd need to be careful in a world like today's. The darkness is coming you know."

"I know." I nodded.

"Do you two have names?" He asked.

"I'm Korra, and this is Aara." Korra answered.

"Korra? The Avatar?" He wondered. She nodded. Hope filled his eyes. "The world think you're dead, they think the darkness killed you."

"But I'm not. Never lose hope." She said.

"Look." He pointed straight ahead. "Republic City. We're almost there."

"Wow, we're closer than I thought." I said.

A tear drop rolled down Korra's face. "Look to the east. The darkness will be there in a matter of days."

"The darkness has covered most of the world." The man said. "By the way, I'm Wing Lee."

"Most of the world?" Korra asked.

"How are we supposed to fight it?" I asked.

"It's alive." Korra said. "There's a creature living inside of it that controls it. It's apart of the creature. No one knows what the creature is, we just know it's there."

"Don't worry." I said. "We'll stop it. You're not alone."

We docked and got off board. We shook Wing Lee's hand. "Thank you. Your kindness is appreciated." Korra smiled. We walked away and she looked at me. "Let's get to Air Temple Island."

We got on a small row boat and Korra used her bending to power it. When we got on the shore of Air Temple Island, a young girl was sitting on a small wall, crying. She looked up at us as we got of the of row boat. "Korra!"

"Jinora!" Korra smiled. They hugged tightly. "Where is your father?"

"Inside, he's meditating." She wiped her last few tears, which had become tears of joy.

"Come on, let's go." Korra grabbed Jinora's hand and I followed them in. Jinora pointed to Tenzin, who was deep in meditation.

Korra and I walked in. "Tenzin?" She asked.

His eyes flew open and he stood up. "Korra. It's unbelievable."

She ran in for a hug, leaving me where I was standing.

They let go and Tenzin looked at me. He smiled. "You must be Aara. Korra has told me many childhood stories that you were involved in. She always said how you had the coolest eyes."

I smiled. "Yeah, that's me."

"Come over." Tenzin said. "You guys have a lot to tell me." So we told him everything. "Psychic bending. Usually psychic energy has a lot to do with the spiritual world. It's sounded almost like a partial to air bending."

"A partial?" I asked.

"Yes, every kind of bending has a partial. Earth's is metal, water's is blood, fire's is lighting, and I do believe that air's could be psychic. But I don't have any idea how you could be an air bender if you grew up in the Southern Water Tribe."

"But the spirit that told me said I couldn't bend an other elements, and they me and Korra are the only ones who could bend energy." I was confused.

"Very few benders can bend partials. And knowing that there are less than ten air benders in the world, it is very possible that you and Korra are the only ones who can bend it. And you may not be able to bend any other elements because you believed you couldn't, and you never tried to bend anything other than water." Tenzin said. "Do you have any air benders in you ancestry?"

I thought for a minute. "Yes, my great, great, great, great, great, great grandma. I was told she was one of Avatar Aang's teachers."

"Ah yes! Tenshi!" Tenzin said. "My father told me she was his teacher from ages four to six. She then got married to a man from the Southern Water tribe and moved away. She was his only female teacher."

"I remember hearing stories about her. She had four children, all water benders, and she was killed by fire benders." I said.

"Try bending air." Tenzin said.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I put one foot forward and thrust my hands in front of me. I could feel a blast of wind come from my hands. I opened my eyes. "Did I just…?"

Korra smiled. "Aara! You're an air bender!"


	4. Chapter Three

Korra was helping me make a bed in her room. "How is it even possible?"

"What?" I asked. "Me being an air bender?"

"Yes!" Korra laughed.

"I have no clue." I smiled.

Korra plopped on my complete bed. "There may not be any daylight left, but there's always fun in Republic City. Wanna go explore?"

"Meh, why not." I laughed.

We walked out the door on hopped on our rowboat. Korra propelled us to the city shore and we went into town. "Aara, I'm going to go use the restroom, I'll be out in a second."

"Alright." I said as Korra walked into a small building. I leaned up against a wall as four men walked over to me.

"We could get a lot of money for this one. Look at her eyes." One of them said.

"But we hafta use her for our own good first, since we found her." Another said.

"Hey little lady." He looked at what I was wearing. "It's a little late for a water bender to out and about, am I right?"

"I'm not a water bender." I said in a low voice.

"Oh you're not?" One of them laughed. "Lucky day for us."

They pressed closer. Two of them fire bent a wall around us. Another earth bent the ground beneath us, to create a hole. The last one water bent a cover over us and froze it into ice. "Poor little non-bender is trapped." One laughed.

"Now who said I wasn't a bender?" A smirk rose on my face.

"You did." One of the said. "If you can't bender water, what can you bend?"

I glared at him. "You're mind." I slowed the energy down around us, quickly dropping the temperature. The two fire benders tried to create fire, but they couldn't. I was blocking all of their bending. I turned and pushed air onto all of them, slamming them against the wall. "And I air bend." I rose the temperature, making them sweat. I worked my way into the water bender's mind. All I saw was fear. I dropped the temperature back to normal and broke the ice barrier with a strong blow of air. I concentrated on the energy around my body and I slowly rose out of the hole, leaving the thugs there. I released the energy and plopped onto my feet at ground level, just a Korra was walking out of the small building.

She looked down the hole. "What happened?"

"They attacked me. So I fought back." I said.

"They're part of a gang called Triple Threat. Be careful, a lot of them can be dangerous." She said.

"Korra!" Two young men ran over to us.

"Mako? Bolin?" She smiled.

"Korra, holy shit it's so good to see you." The taller one wrapped his arms around her. "I thought we'd lost you."

Korra pushed away. "Wait. We break up. I disappear. I come back. You're with Asami. I disappear again. I come back again. And now you miss me? Mako, what's you problem?"

"Korra." Bolin pushed forward. "Asami's dead."

"What?!" Korra yelled.

"She died in a car accident. There was no way of saving her." Mako lowered his head. "Her funeral's tomorrow. At her factory."

Bolin looked over to me. He tried to speak but he couldn't. His eyes were locked on mine. He finally coughed up some words. But they came out really fast. "Hi, I'm Bolin. This is my brother Mako. Do you know Korra? Well of course you do, you're here with her. What's your name? You have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen."


	5. Chapter Four

_Aara. Aara. Aara. I am coming for you. I will crawl into your body and destroy you from the inside out. Starting with your stomach. You won't be able to eat for long periods of time. Then your lungs. I will slow your breathing, and make it heavier and harder to bear. Then your mind. I will drive you insane and make you tremble. And last, your heart. I will turn it into a black hole, and you will forget what love even is._

"Aara!"

I sat up panting, Korra was sitting next to me with her hand on my shoulder. "Aara? Are you okay?"

"What?!" I took a deep breath. "Yeah. I'm fine. It was just a nightmare."

"You were screaming really loud." Korra said. "And there was a shadow next to your bed. When I turned on the light it disappeared."

I put my hand to my stomach. I could sense something in there that didn't belong. "That's because it's inside me." I stammered. "It wasn't just a nightmare. It was a foreshadow of reality."

Korra looked scared. "We're going to get it out."

"Korra, you can't." I said.

"We can, and we wi-"

"We can't!" I cut her off. "Korra it's the darkness, and now it's inside me!" I started to hyperventilate and cry.

"Aara. Don't let it persuade you. We can get it out." Korra was trying to make me feel better.

Bolin and Mako walked into our room. They were staying the night because they're place was filled with funeral stuff. Mako was the first to speak. "What's going on?"

Bolin looked at me. I could sense his feelings. "Aara, are you okay?"

I felt a sharp pain in my stomach. I stood up and ran out of the room, out of the house and to the shore. I fell on my hands and knees and started to vomit up blood. After a few heaves I turned and fell to my side, the blood-soaked sand only inches from my nose. Korra, Bolin, and Mako were finally caught up.

"Aara…" Korra's voice trembled.

I looked up at her. "What?!" I laid my head down again. "I'm sorry."

"You're eyes…they're red." Bolin said.

"I'm not surprised." I whispered.

Tenzin came over. "Aara? What happened? Is everything okay?"

Korra looked over to him. "Tenzin, it's in her. The darkness."

"We have to get her to my mother, Katara. In the Southern Water Tribe." Tenzin said.

"What about Asami's funeral?" Mako asked.

"You shall attend. I will personally take Aara down there. Meet me there tomorrow. Be safe." Tenzin picked me up and carried me to his flying bison. He put me in the saddle and went to tell his family. They were to meet us up tomorrow as well. We set off and I slowly passed out.

"Oh no." Tenzin's voice drew me back into conscientiousness. The entire South Pole was covered in thick black fog. It was the darkness.

He tried to air bend it out of the way, but it didn't move.

Aara. Welcome to your old home, my new paradise. There is no daylight here. You will never see the sun rise again.

I heard the voice from my nightmare in my head.

"I can't see!" Tenzin yelled. "I can't even see my own hands!"

The flying bison crash landed in some snow. Tenzin's voice was shaking. "Aara, your eyes are glowing, glowing crimson-red, like blood."

"Tenzin." I stammered. "I-I can see."

"What? You can?"

"Y-yes. I can see clear as day, but I can also see the d-darkness." I stood up and walked over to Tenzin. I put his hand on my shoulder. "Follow me. Th-The village is this way." I started walking and his hand never left my shoulder.

I could see candle light and a few building in the near distance. We went inside and quickly shut the door behind us. The darkness was not present inside.

"Tenzin?" An older woman walked over us. "My son." He hugged him. I remember her face now, she's Katara. I wonder if she remembers me.

"Mother." Tenzin gestured to me. "She needs your help. The darkness is killing her from the inside out."

Katara stepped over to me and grabbed both my hands. "Aara." she looked deep into eyes. "I can see it. I can see the darkness in your eyes. I will do everything I can to help you."

She laid me down in a warm tub of water and started using her water bending to try to heal me. She was the best healer in the entire world.

The sharp pain entered my stomach again. I trued to hold in what wanted to escape as long as I could. I started bleeding heavily out my eyes, nose, and mouth. I hear a few screams before my mind went blank.


End file.
